Jack Vance or There are Doors?

Josh Geller · 20 Dec 2002, 20:35 · from urth-v0212.mbox · original

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From: Josh Geller <dclxvi at dclxvi.best.vwh.net>
Subject: Re: (urth) Jack Vance or There are Doors?
Date: Fri, 20 Dec 2002 20:35:41 +0000 (GMT)
Message-ID: <urth-v0212-2497 at digest.urth.net>
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On Fri, 20 Dec 2002, William Ansley wrote:
> At 12:23 PM 12/19/2002 -0500, someone wrote:

>> Hello, all.  I was looking for any opinions here, I am just about to
>> finish RTTW, and was looking next either to read Jack Vance's Tales of
>> the Dying Earth or Wolfe's There are Doors.  I'm intrigued as to the
>> Vance work to see how it influenced the Urth novels, but have never
>> read any Vance before.  I also have never read any Wolfe other than the
>> Urth/LS/SS cycle, I also don't know what to expect from There are
>> Doors.  Any recommendations or views on these books from the list?

> My recommendation is that you read Jack Vance first. Wolfe is wonderful, =
of
> course, but it is nice to branch out once in a while. <g> Also, if you li=
ke
> Vance's _Dying Earth_, you'll probably like the rest of his stuff, and
> there is quite a bit of it.

I am awaiting delivery of my copy of the 44 volume Vance Integral Edition,
which (so it is said) should start arriving in February sometime.

>                              Then you'll have something to read when you
> run out of Wolfe.

> I am a big fan of Jack Vance, but I feel it is only fair to warn you that
> if you are expecting the same intellectual work out that Wolfe gives you,
> you will be disappointed.

This has not been my experience at all.

>                       But Vance is one of the better writers in SF; he
> certainly has his own unmistakable voice.

Vance is one of the great writers of the 20th century. Someday this will
be recognized.

=2E

--=20

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